Together at last
by Virgo girl 14
Summary: Danielle has been knocked down by Janine, we all know that. But what if Danielle slipped into a coma instead of died? I dunno if this has been done before, but I promise mine will live up to great standards. please read and review xX
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Well as we all know, Danielle sadly died in the fantastic soap Eastenders on the 2nd April. And we all know that I do not own this fabulous show, otherwise I would not be sitting here writing fanfictions. God if I owned all the things I've written about, I'd be Stephanie Meyer, J.K Rowling, Russell T. Davies and god knows who else haha**

Ronnie clutched on to Danielle's broken body, sobbing, screaming saying she's dead over and over.

"No, maybe she's not dead." Stacey said softly, stepping toward her and kneeling down.

"Get away!" Ronnie screamed, shoving her back roughly.

"Look, you either want me to check she's okay or you do, it's your choice." Stacey saidRonnie nodded slightly, laying Danielle gently to the ground whilst Roxy called an ambulance. "It's gonna be okay baby. I won't leave you, I promise." Ronnie whispered as Stacey checked for a pulse.

"It's weak..." Stacey said. "Get an ambulance."

"There's one on the way." Roxy said "You hear that Ron, she's gonna be fine. You'll see."

Ronnie couldn't speak and she cuddled Danielle's cooling body to her once more, crying.

Soon the ambulance arrived.

"Okay sweetheart, my name's Amera you need to let us get to this young lady so we can help her." the female paramedic, Amera told Ronnie gently. She lead Ronnie over to Stacey while she went back to her colleague, he was checking her over.

"Darling? My name's James, can you hear me?" he asked Danielle, checking if she was conscious. He shook his head, "We need to get her to the hospital, and quick." he said and he and Amera helped Danielle into the back of the ambulance.

Ronnie wrenched herself from Stacey's loose grip and threw herself into the ambulance beside Danielle, not wanting to be apart from her daughter.

* * *

Roxy, Stacey and Janine were left standing by the train station.

"Come on, we'd better go tell everyone else." Roxy looked at Stacey as she spoke.

Stacey nodded. "You get your family and I'll tell Mo and Charlie.. Mum don't need to know."

* * *

"It's ok Danielle… mummy's here. And I'm never leaving you again, so you've got to keep your half of the promise and never leave me, okay?" she told her gently. "I am so sorry I gave you away. And all those awful things I said and did… I'm so sorry… If I had known…" she whispered, brushing the stray hairs away from her forehead and gently stroking her hair as they were driven away.

The ambulance pelted down the empty roads at full speed to the hospital.

Once there, Danielle was wrenched from Ronnie's sight once more as the paramedics rushed her into the rescusitation room, telling various doctors and nurses in confusing medical gabble about what they had to deal with, and they then set to work on keeping the little life there was left inside Danielle's struggling body, and putting more life inside the young teen's body.

All Ronnie could do was stand behind the doors, watching as they had stripped away her daughter's dress to they could put strange redish pink pads on her chest and shock her heart into beating, and she clutched at the locket around her neck.

"Danielle… you can't go now…" she whispered.

Roxy, Jack, Peggy & Phil had appeared ten minutes later, and they had gently pulled Ronnie to the relative's room. Ronnie sat numbly in her sister's arms, Peggy was badgering, asking a passing nurse about Danielle's progression while Phil & Jack were plotting on how to make Archie have his comeuppance.

"You'd think with the amount of people running round this place, someone would know what's going on with Danielle…" Peggy sighed, sitting down.

Ronnie just stared at the floor, barely hearing her aunt's complaints, her cousin's planning or her sister's comforting words.

"Miss Mitchell?"

The voice seemed so far away, and seemed like an eternity to be heard.

"Miss Mitchell?"

The second time, Ronnie's head snapped up.

"Miss Jones is stable, but because there's a chance she'd slip into a coma and her condition could deteriorate, we will have to watch her for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours." the nurse by the door said.

"It's Mitchell." Ronnie snapped. "Her name is Danielle Mitchell! She's the baby I gave away! The baby I should have been protecting! The baby I should have believed when she told me earlier I was her mum! The baby I will NEVER let out of my sight ever again!"

"Ron…" Roxy said softly, rubbing her sister's arm.

Ronnie took a deep breath. "Can I see her?"

"Once we see proof of who you really are to her." the nurse said.

"Rox… In dad's things, there should be the adoption papers.. I know you'd rather not touch them now but they are the only proof I have…" Ronnie said.

Roxy nodded and ran out.

Ronnie got up and walked to the room her daughter had now been taken to. She stared at the pale form of the young blonde in the hospital bed, hooked up to various machines and wires, through the window, clutching at both lockets, her hands shaking.

Roxy jumped into her car, drove to the Vic, ran inside, pushed past Ian who shouted "Oi!" after her and she pelted up the stairs.

"Uh Roxy." Billy said.

"Not now, Billy, eh." Roxy snapped, running into Peggy's bedroom, turning out all the drawers that had Archie's possessions in, tossing things from the wardrobe and searching under the furniture in the room frantically. "He can't… wouldn't do that to Ronnie… Though.. I dunno what he'd do anymore…" she muttered and ran into the living room and searched the drawers and cabinets in the room. She sighed and gave up after a bit, slumping in the chair.

Billy came in.

"Has dad come back at all since we've been at the hospital?" she looked at Billy.

"I heard some movement, but I was watching over Amy, she's been crying. I just thought it was Ian moving about." Billy said.

Roxy gave a frustrated sigh and stood up. "Alright… Thanks Billy." she said and walked out and drove back to the hospital. She walked back to Ronnie. "He took it…" she said.

"What?!" Ronnie gasped. "But… it…"

"I think Danielle brought some things with her.." Stacey, who had got there with Charlie while Roxy was gone, put in.

Phil gave her a strange look.

"Well she would've needed proof of who she was wouldn't she!" she snapped.

"But that would only prove her adopted name! Not the fact I'm her mum…!" Ronnie said. "He truly is EVIL! Why… why would he want to hurt Danielle? What's she done to him? Why would he want to keep hurting me I don't understand!"

"Because since you were fourteen he hasn't been able to control your life, just like he has done with the rest of us… I should have just listened to you Ron…" Roxy said.

"Don't you do that. Don't you blame yourself Roxanne Mitchell." Ronnie said, walking in to the room her daughter was in, ignoring the nurse telling her to leave.

"You really shouldn't be in here Miss Mitchell." she said.

Ronnie suddenly stopped, turned round, her eyes raging with anger, anger at herself, anger at the nurse wittering on about what she can and can't do and anger at her father for causing her this hell. "DANIELLE IS MY DAUGHTER AND IF I WANT TO SEE HER I WILL! AND YOU'D BETTER GET USED TO ME BECAUSE I WILL NOT LEAVE UNTIL I KNOW SHE IS AWAKE, SAFE AND WELL ENOUGH TO COME HOME WITH ME WHERE SHE BELONGS!!" she shouted.


	2. Chapter 2

True to her word, she never left Danielle's side that night, or through the day, but the next evening, Jack and Roxy had inevitably convinced her to go home, get something to eat and freshen up, and they stayed in her place once she did as they asked. Danielle was never once left alone.

A nurse came in during Ronnie's absence to check Danielle's progress.

"How is she?" Roxy asked.

"She is improving slightly, but we'll still need to keep an eye on her." the nurse said and walked out.

* * *

Ronnie arrived at the Vic on her motorbike and sje walked inside after climbing off it. She instantly heard her aunt's voice over the usual babble of the punters in the pub.

"I want this place looking like the wedding never happened! Do you hear me Ian Beale!" Peggy shouted.

A few people cheered as Ian fixed his usual 'I'm-going-to-act-like-a-spoilt-kid-and-sulk' look at Peggy when her back was turned and she moved behind the bar.

Ronnie allowed herself to laugh quietly and she walked to the bar, placing her helmet on the bartop. "Is everything alright here?" she asked.

"Yeah everything's fine darlin'. How's Danielle?" Peggy said.

"Nothing's happened yet so…" Ronnie trailed off.

"You look awful sweetheart. Why don't you go up, sort yourself out. Now I won't take no for an answer." Peggy rubbed Ronnie's arm, seeing she was about to answer back.

She sighed and nodded and walked up the stairs, locked herself in the bathroom and had a long, hot shower. Once showered and clean, she walked into her sister's room where she left her change of clothes for after the wedding. She dried her hair, dressed and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Ben, Abbie." Ronnie said, seeing the two at the table, working on something. "What are you to working on?"

"It's going to be a surprise for Danielle and Lauren. Lauren's comin' home this week. Mum said." Abbie grinned.

"She said might." Ben reminded.

"Yeah but it usually means 'will'."

"That's nice of you and everything but don't you two have school?" Ronnie said.

"It's half day. No one ever does anything on the last day and dad let me stay here." Abbie said.

"And gran's let me stay here. She says she wants everyone close cause of to be there for Danielle." Ben said.

"Right.. Okay…" Ronnie nodded and sat down.

"You really should eat something you know." Ben said.

"I can't right now though Ben." Ronnie sighed quietly.

"You know, it really won't help Danielle get better if you don't look after yourself too." Ben looked at his aunt.

"Since when did you become my mother?" she gave him a fond smile.

"Somebody's got to." he smiled back.

She pushed his drooping glasses back up the bridge of his nose and stood up. "Well, you let me do the worrying. Alright?" she grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and walked out.

"You alright? Did you have a nice shower?" Peggy asked once she saw Ronnie come back through the door.

"Yes I did.." Ronnie smiled "Thank you."

"Well someone's gotta look after you while you go through this. I'll be going with Sal later, Phil will be here if you need him."

Ronnie nodded, putting the helmet back on and she walked out, mounting the bike again and driving back to the hospital.

When she got to Danielle's room again she found someone there she wasn't expecting to see.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

* * *

Stacey was out on the stall, but she found herself unable to concentrate, her best friend since Ruby had disappeared was on the brink of life and death, but there was nothing she could do. She knew where the blame firmly lay. Archie for the lies he fed everyone, for all his scheming that got him nowhere, and Janine for speeding in the car. It wasn't known to her what the purpose of it was.

She checked her phone for any messages, she had none. _'Typical…'_ she thought. She sighed and put the money bag over the rail of clothes. "Nan could you take over…? Thought I could do this… but I can't…" she said.

"You get yourself home. I told you you wouldn't be able to concentrate didn't I." Mo said.

Stacey rolled her eyes and walked back home.

Charlie, who heard the door, leaned over the table in the kitchen to see who it was. "Alright Stacey love? Going over to see how Danielle is. Fancy coming later on?" he asked.

Stacey walked into the room. "Uh, yeah why not. Won't be able to concentrate anyway."

"I know you won't. what with it being your best friend and all." Charlie smiled.

"I miss her singin' in the shower, wakin' me up. I tell her to shut up, she just laughs at me through the door." Stacey laughed a bit.

"She's always happy, always got a smile on her face, always happy to help. Now can we stop talking like she's dead and think about that she'll be right as rain in no time." Charlie said.

Stacey nodded. "You're right… ok I'm off for a shower, and then we can go when I'm ready." she said and turned out of the room to go up the stairs.

"Stacey will be alright won't she?" Jean asked, looking up at Charlie with her usual wide eyes.

"When Danielle wakes up she'll have three families. This one, the Mitchells, and the family she grew up with. And also when she wakes up, she and Stacey will go off like nothing ever happened. Danielle's the luckiest girl in the world. They'll both have each other back, they're best friends." Charlie said "Now, can we PLEASE stop thinking about the maybe's, the what if's and can we concentrate on the fact the everything WILL be okay?" he sighed, though he couldn't help but worry on this inside himself.

"Okay… Alright Charlie." Jean said, smiling.

An hour and a half later, Stacey came down, washed, dried and dressed.

"You ready then? Jean Mo's just on the stall if you need anything." Charlie said, smiling a little.

Jean smiled "Ok.. Stacey, give Danielle our love."

"Yeah whatever…" Stacey sighed, walking out. "Just make sure you take your tablets.." she said once she was outside.

Charlie followed and shut the door.

They both got into the cab and Charlie drove to the hospital.


	3. Chapter 3

3.

Stacey walked to Danielle's room, and on getting there, someone caught her eye.

"Callum what are you doing here?" she asked.

"He won't tell me." Ronnie told her.

"I don't see what the point is in telling you. You might be her mother but you weren't there for her like you should have been. We were there to pick up the pieces most of the time. Me and Stacey. It should have been you. You SHOULD have realised it straight away she was yours." Callum ranted.

"Well I'm here now. And that's all that should matter. I am here so that when she wakes up, I can help her trust me again, I can have my baby back. It might happen straight away or it might happen slowly. It will all have to be on her terms, and if she decides to call it quits, if she wants to go back to Telford, then it's her choice. But I WILL fight for her." Ronnie said.

"Enough you two. This isn't the time or the place." Stacey said.

"I got here as soon as I could. Took me a couple of days to get everything sorted, made some kind of story up to my dad and that was it." Callum said. "She'll need her friends around her when she wakes up."

"Yeah…" Stacey said.

"And her mother." Ronnie said, even though she knew she had no right to be in Danielle's life. She'd given her away. She'd been reunited with her without even knowing it. She'd said and done awful things to her, things no mother would ever do. She helped her abort a child. Her daughter's baby. Her grandchild. She lied about saying giving her up was the best thing she did.

"If it weren't for you she wouldn't be here now!" Callum cut through her self torture.

"She turned and ran into the road. And Janine was the one that was in the speeding car. But at least she stopped. But she didn't do anything. I held Danielle in my arms while I felt her slip away! Stacey went and got Roxy, who called the damned ambulance for her, and they were almost too late! If it wasn't for Stacey checking if she was still alive she'd have been carried to the morgue by now!" Ronnie snapped, walking over to Danielle's bedside.

"What's going on Stacey?" Callum asked.

"Just leave if Callum… But when Danielle falls, and Ronnie Mitchell ain't there anymore, we'll be there to pick up the pieces like normal." Stacey said.

They both just stared into the room, looking at Danielle's pale, fragile body on the hospital bed.

"Dan, you'll get through this… you have to." Stacey said.

"She will. I know I was an idiot before-"

"You can say that again." Stacey interrupted.

"But anyway, I'm here now. And it'll be the trio all together again."

Stacey nodded. "But she might wanna stay with Ronnie for a bit though."

"Why? After what she's done to her? Everything she's done?"

"When it's your mum you do anything. I know that more than anythin' remember?"

"Yeah… true…"

"Thought we got rid of you." Roxy said from behind them, causing them both to turn around.

"You won't get rid of me easily." Callum said.

"Shame. It was a bit more peaceful without you." Roxy answered back and walked to Ronnie.

Ronnie looked toward her sister for a moment before looking back at Danielle.

"How's she doing?" Roxy asked.

"Nothing different." Ronnie said.

Roxy nodded.

"Where's Amy?"

"With Jack. My babysitter's in a hospital bed." Roxy said in an attempt to make a joke.

Ronnie laughed slightly, only doing it just to stop her sister trying to make anymore bad jokes.

"I'm going to go and get a coffee. Do any of you want one?" Callum asked.

"Sure. And misery guts here will have one too." Roxy said.

"Oi. You were worse than this when Amy was in here." Ronnie said.

"No. I had Sean keeping me sane." Roxy said.

"He wasn't exactly sane." Ronnie said.

"Oi watch it." Stacey snapped.

"Come on, leave them." Callum said, pulling Stacey along.

"She's got no right saying that about my brother." she snapped again as they reached a drinks machine out in the corridor.

"Just let it pass. This once." Callum said, putting the money into the machine and pressed the right button.

Once he'd done that for all four drinks, with Stacey holding two and him holding the other two, they both made their way back to the room, Stacey walking in and handing Ronnie and Roxy their drinks.

Callum handed one cup to her and leaned against the wall.

Stacey looked at Danielle before pulling out her phone, which was vibrating, and she looked at the screen. She saw it was an unknown number, but she answered it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Stacey?" asked a male voice.

"Yeah." Stacey confirmed.

"It's Andy. is Danielle there? She said she was going to come home a few weeks ago, but she's not here." he explained.

"Oh… Andy… she's um…" Stacey trailed off. She held her hand over the speaker of her phone. "It's her adopted dad… what do I tell him…?" she asked, just as Charlie walked in.

"Give it here sweetheart. I'll tell him…" he told her gently.

Stacey handed him the phone, not even noticing Ronnie who had decided to look up.

"Andy? Yeah it's Charlie. I've got something to tell ya mate, and you might not like it, and I'm sorry, but it's about Danielle." Charlie said, looking saddened, over at the pale girl. _'Poor kid… Poor Andy…'_ he thought

"What is it? Is Dani alright? If everything ok?" Andy asked.

"We think she's doing ok… she seems it…. But… she was involved in an accident."

"What kind of accident?"

"She got hit by a car outside the train station." Charlie said. Suddenly the line went dead. "Andy? Are you alright?"

There was no answer from him.

There was no sound apart from the steady bleeping of Danielle's machine and Charlie's quiet, pleading voice.

**A/N: Alright! Lynch me! String me up! I know it wasn't up to scratch but this chapter went out the window and I'm not happy, cause i came up with another plot, and these plot bunnies won't leave me alone Anyway! Lemme see what you think! xD Reviews make my fingers type faster ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

4.

Ronnie never left Danielle's bedside over the next few days, Stacey and Callum going back for frequent updates. Andy, Danielle's adopted father still hadn't made it to Walford. Maybe he couldn't face it.

Suddenly, Danielle's hand, clutched in Ronnie's, twitched.

"Danielle?" Ronnie's head snapped up.

Her eyes were still closed. She still looked like an angel.

"Danielle? If you can hear me, sweetie, hold my hand. Or squeeze it. Or something." Ronnie pleaded.

Danielle's hand twitched again and Ronnie jumped from her seat. "Rox! Roxy she's waking up!"

Roxy looked up from her place by the wall, dashed out and came back with a doctor who checked Danielle over.

"Danielle?" he said, shining a small light in her eye for a response, and her eye followed the light. "There seems to be a response. If we are lucky on this day, she should wake up."

Ronnie smiled. "And I'll get my baby back?"

"If she'll let you, yes." the doctor said and walked out.

Ronnie held her hand again and ran her other hand through Danielle's hair softly, brushing it off her face. She gently pressed a kiss to her forehead, which made her eyes flicker. Moments later, Danielle opened her eyes fully.

"Danielle?" Ronnie said softly, smiling.

Danielle looked at her. The last thing she remembered were a pair of headlights heading her way. She supposed one good thing came from it. Her mother had come after her. Called her 'baby'.

Ronnie wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter.

Danielle weakly put her arms around her, "Mum…" she whispered.

"I'm here. I'm here I'm not going anywhere."

Roxy stood watching her sister and her niece smiling. Finally her sister was whole again, maybe Danielle would change the icy persona of Veronica Mitchell that everyone knew and saw and turn her into the true, loving caring Ronnie she knew and loved. She turned and walked out once more to tell a nurse that Danielle was awake.

Danielle gazed up at Ronnie, smiling.

Stacey ran in, pleased and glad that her best friend was alive, awake and well.

"Careful, Stace, she has just woken up." Charlie said gently.

"I don't care." Stacey grinned, pushing Ronnie out the way and hugged her.

Danielle hugged back, laughing slightly. "You don't get rid of me that easily."

"Good. When you're fully better you can come back and live with us again." Stacey said.

Ronnie felt a sudden pang of jealousy and hurt. Here Stacey was barging in and taking her daughter away from her just like everyone else. But then she remembered everything had to be on Danielle's terms. Whatever she decided, she would go along with it.

Danielle turned to her mother, torn about her decision and Ronnie could see that.

"It's your choice Danielle. I'll still be here for you and I'll still be your mum even if you go back with Stacey and Charlie."

Danielle nodded, though she was still torn. She wanted to be close to her mother, and her best friend, but she knew it had to be one or the other.

"How about this." Charlie piped up. "Danielle comes to stay with us while the two of you build up your relationship, and then in the future, whether it be a month, 3 months or even a year, she can move in with you."

Ronnie nodded and smiled.

Danielle nodded also. "That would be nice." she mirrored her mother's smile.

"It won't happen over night. We all know that's a given. But you can't be separated now." Charlie said.

"I couldn't even dream of that." Ronnie said.

"And if you hurt her I will personally kill you." Stacey said.

"I won't. I know I haven't been a good person, but you'll have to learn to trust me. I've been waiting for this day my whole life. Being reunited with her, not the accident." Ronnie told her.

A few hours later, the doctors had told Danielle she could go home.

Charlie got the cab ready outside the hospital, Stacey had grabbed Danielle's bag and Ronnie helped Danielle out and into the car.

Charlie drove back to the Square.

Unbeknownst to Danielle that Phil had 'gotten rid' of Archie, so she was anxious to see everyone outside the Vic with a welcome home banner, she was scared he was in the crowd

Ronnie held her daughter's hand, smiling softly. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Danielle nodded and slowly got out of the cab when Charlie had come to a stop.

Ronnie helped her and walked round to the crowd outside the pub with her.

Peggy pulled Danielle into a hug. "You alright darlin'?"

Danielle hugged back. "Yeah. Just a bit strange that's all."

"Well we'll let you settle back in. anything you need, anything at all. Don't you worry,. Just say the word, alright? You're family now, not just a neighbour." Peggy said.

"Okay." Danielle smiled.

"And don't worry. You won't be seeing much of Archie anymore." Peggy added, smiling proudly at Phil, who still hadn't told her he'd let him go.

* * *

Once Danielle had settled back into normal life, or as normal as life can be on the Square. She and Stacey were back on the stall within a few days of her being back.

Danielle went into the café to get their usual morning drinks.

"It's great to see you back on your feet Danielle, don't take too much on at once, though" Jane smiled.

"Yeah alright, love. She's not dead is she. She's not wheelchair bound." Ian said with a sour look on his face, obviously still reeling from how he was treated weeks before.

"Yeah you'd probably want that, Ian. But you are just one person. One little person who still lives in the Dark Ages and you treat Jane like the dirt on your shoes. And one day, sooner or later, she'll realise that." Danielle said. "By the way, I'll have two tea's to go please." she added, looking pointedly at him.

Jane said nothing, sneaking a grateful glance at her while Ian sulkily made the two cups of tea.

"That'll be £2.50." he smirked."

"For two naffy cups of tea in paper cups?!" she said incredulously, raising an eyebrow. "It's 40p for one. For two it's 80p. Do not insult my intelligence, you can get stuffed if you think I'm payin' that. There's a quid, keep the change and go hide under a rock." she said, slamming a pound coin on the counter, taking the polystyrene cups and stalked out.

"You can definitely tell she's a Mitchell. In a few short days, she's gone from someone who wouldn't say boo to a goose to a flamin' Ronnie Mitchell clone." Ian said.

"Ian. Shut up." Jane said and slapped him before walking out.

A/N: This is it. I've finally lost my muse and this is gonna end now :(


End file.
